When thinking about the Rogers Diffusion of Innovations, there are a lot of different ideas or innovations that can be applied using this model. This model shows the stages and usage of a certain idea throughout a time period.  The stages are the pioneers in the exploratory stage, then the early adopters in the build up stage, then the early majority, followed by the late adapters and lastly the laggards with saturation. 

One that has happened in my life that I feel is relevant to this is the creation of the Social media platform Instagram. Using the model for Instagram, the pioneers would be the first users and the creators of the platform. The Early adopters would be the first bigger group of people to start using the app and spread the word of liking using it. Then we have the early majority when the majority of the population is now using this platform. Lastly we end with the late adopters who decide to join late in the game of its existent, and the laggards who will never get on the bandwagon and make an account. 

If I had put put myself in once of these categories I would say I was either an early adopter or early majority. I first made an Instagram account when I was in 5th grade, which I don't think was technically allowed at the time, this was probably 2013 which made me about 11 years old. Since then as seen on the graph the number of users increased rapidly and has definitely increased more since the original 2017 number. The app has also gone through many different versions and updates that have changed it drastically since the original version. 

I think the reason Instagram caught on and became so popular was because the use of Facebook was on the decline due to multiple factors such as it was more boring, but most importantly all the late adopters began to use it and younger adults and teens began to find it no longer fun with all their parents and grandparents using it. Instagram offered a new fun platform where users could create a page only with images and captions and not status updates such a Facebook. It was new and gave younger people a platform to interact with each other away from the old people. 

Now today, it has become a lot more similar to Facebook. Many of the older people discovered it and decided to join late for a multitude of different reasons. One, again Facebook was declining especially now that many young people had left the platform, Instagram offered many fun aspects such as businesses and celebrities, and some just wanted to be able to see what others like their kids were doing.  

There are still laggards and forever will be for Instagram. This is because some people just don't like the platform, and others don't use social media at all. Reasons one may choose not to use social media includes, they find it boring, they don't have time, or some people are more private and choose not to share their life in that way. This leads into the downsides of Instagram. Even though you can make your account private, it does still allow your life to be very public and can always increase risk of dangers such as stalking. It also takes a toll on many peoples mental health for multiple reasons. People tend to paint themselves as someone they are not, or filter to only show the good aspects of their life. This can make people feel bad about themselves for not doing as much as someone else or not looking the way they look. 

Although numbers are still increasing, there is no saying what the future for Instagram will hold. There will always be the laggards such as my parents and grandparents who I don't think will ever download the app, as well as new competition and chances the app may one day die out. But if it does, there will be something new to take its place and start the whole cycle over again.